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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                            FEBRUARY 13, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 18

                Global Leaders Gather at UK Parliament to

               Mark 49 Years of Eye Foundation of America

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            philanthropy  in  transforming  public
                                                                                                                  health outcomes.
            London
                                                                                                                      Dr.  Sam  Maddula,  Board  Mem-
                   lobal   leaders,   parliamen-                                                                  ber  and  Major  Donor  of  the  Eye
                   tarians,  healthcare  experts,                                                                 Foundation  of  America,  emphasised
            Gphilanthropists,  and  civil  so-                                                                    the  long-term  impact  of  investing  in
            ciety representatives gathered at the                                                                 childhood blindness prevention. “Re-
            House of Lords on Friday to mark the                                                                  storing sight is not charity—it is one
            International  Day  for  a  World  With-                                                              of the most powerful investments we
            out Childhood Blindness (IDWWCB)                                                                      can make in a child’s future and in a
            and commemorate 49 years of service                                                                   nation’s human capital,” he said.
            by  the  Eye  Foundation  of  America                                                                     Senior  parliamentarians,  health-
            (EFA), a global non-profit working to                                                                 care  leaders,  Rotarians,  policy  advo-
            prevent and treat childhood blindness                                                                 cates, diplomats, and members of the
            since 1977.                                                                                           international media were also present,
                The high-level event, held at the                                                                 reflecting broad-based support for the
            UK  Parliament,  highlighted  January   ening, with a particular focus on un- SDG 3 on good health and well-being   mission.
            31 as a significant global moment to   derserved  and  vulnerable  children.  and SDG 4 on quality education, re-  Throughout   the   discussions,
            advance awareness around childhood   “Forty-nine years ago, this mission   inforcing the argument that child eye   speakers  stressed  that  eliminating
            vision,  education,  and  health  equity,  began with one simple belief—that no   health is a cross-cutting development   childhood blindness requires moving
            while renewing calls for coordinated   child should go blind because of pov- issue.                   beyond  isolated  charitable  interven-
            international action to eliminate pre-  erty or lack of access,” said Dr. V. K.   Addressing  the  audience,  Lord   tions  toward  sustained  institutional
            ventable blindness among children.  Raju,  Founder  and  Visionary  Lead- Rami  Ranger  underlined  the  moral   partnerships. Integrating eye care into
                The commemoration was chaired   er of EFA, addressing the gathering.  and policy urgency of the cause. He   public  health  systems,  strengthening
            by Lord Rami Ranger, Member of the  “Today, that belief has become a glob-  said  the  House  of  Lords  stood  not   local  capacity,  and  mobilising  corpo-
            House of Lords, and brought together  al responsibility. Childhood blindness   only as a symbol of governance and   rate  and  philanthropic  engagement
            a diverse group of global voices who   is preventable, and together, we have   tradition, but also of conscience and   at scale were repeatedly identified as
            stressed that child eye health must be   the power to end it.”      global  responsibility.  “A  world  with-  essential steps.
            treated  as  a  core  public  health  and   Speakers noted that the Interna- out childhood blindness is not an as-  EFA’s   approach—combining
            development  priority  rather  than  a   tional Day for a World Without Child-  piration—it  is  an  achievable  goal  if   clinical  excellence,  training,  commu-
            peripheral issue.                 hood Blindness draws attention to the  governments, philanthropy, and civil   nity-based screening, and global part-
                The Eye Foundation of America   reality that more than 90 per cent of a   society act together,” he said.  nerships—was  cited  as  a  model  for
            traces its origins to a single eye camp   child’s learning depends on vision, yet   The event featured participation   delivering sustainable and measurable
            organised  in  Vijayawada,  India,  in   millions  of  children  worldwide  con- from  several  prominent  global  lead-  impact.
            1977 by Dr. V. K. Raju. What began as   tinue to suffer from avoidable visual   ers  and  experts.  Siddharth  Chatter-  As the organisation approaches its
            a local humanitarian effort has since   impairment. The consequences, they  jee,  United  Nations  Chief  in  China,   50th year, EFA called on governments
            evolved into a global movement span-  said, extend far beyond health, affect-  spoke about the strong link between   to integrate child eye health into na-
            ning India, Africa, the United States,  ing  education  outcomes,  economic   childhood vision, education, and sus-  tional health and education strategies,
            and the United Kingdom. Over nearly   mobility,  and  long-term  social  devel- tainable  development,  while  Padma   urged corporates to adopt sight resto-
            five  decades,  EFA  has  implemented   opment.                     Bhushan  awardee  Dr.  Vara  Prasad   ration as a high-impact CSR priority,
            large-scale  programmes  focused  on   The  observance  aligns  closely  Reddy, Chairman of Shanta Biotech-  and  appealed  to  international  agen-
            prevention, early detection, treatment,  with the United Nations Sustainable   nics,  highlighted  the  importance  of   cies to recognise childhood blindness
            and long-term health systems strength- Development   Goals,   particularly  innovation,  ethical  leadership,  and   as a development emergency.

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